His Funeral

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Author: Eleyan Teyal Al'Landerin


I'm still struggling with what to say. But I can try to transcipt with a few notes. I will do my best. Im not in my best form. RJ went to an episcopal church. This was his service. I humbly share it with you. The collect is in bold.



St. Stephen's Episocpal Church
In thanksgiving of the life of James Oliver Rigney Jr.
Oct 17, 1948 - Sept. 16, 2007

Choral "Beloved Jesus" Johannes Brahms

OPENING ANTHEM
I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord; he that believeth in me, thugh he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosever livith and believeth in me shall never die. I know that my Redeemer livith, and the he shall stand at the later day upon the earth; and though this body be destroyed, yet shall I God; whome I shall see for myself and mine eyes shall behhold, and not as a stranger. For none of us livith to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For as we live, we live unto the Lord; and if we die, we die unto the Lord. Whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord; even so saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labors.


The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Let us pray.

Oh God, whose mercies cannot be numbered: Accept our prayers, on behalf of thy servant James, and grant him an entrance into the land of light and joy, into the fellowship of thy saints; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Amen.

First Lesson - Read by William Popham McDougal Isaiah 55:8-13 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than yours and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and the returneth run thither, and make path to the sea Do shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: It shall not return until me void, but it shall accomplish that wish I please, and it shall prosper in he thing whereto I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace, the mountainds and the hills shall break forth before you into singing and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instesad of thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle treee, and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everalsting sign that shall not be cut off.


HYMN 680 - "Oh God, Our Help in Ages Past."

Psalm 46 God is our refuge and strength. A very present help in trouble. There we will not fear though the earth be removed, and though mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, Thought the mountains shake with the swellings threof.

There is a river, the streams thereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

Be still, and know that I am God. I will exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in he earth. The Lord of hosts is with us, and the God of Jacob in our refuge,

Second Lesson - Read by Reynolds Willard Rigney. Romans 8:14:19, 34:35, 37:39

For as many are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have receieved the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth with our spirit, that we are the children of God and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and the joint heirs with Christr; if so that we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with that glory which shall be the sons of God. Who is he that condemneth? Is it Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall seperate us from the love of Christ? Shall Tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword. Nay, in all these thing we are more than conquers through him that loveed us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principlalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come. Nor height, nor fepth, nor any other creature, shall be able to seperate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Hymn 551 - I Fight the Good Fight with All my Might

Introduction from the rector..... A man with a musical voice. It was a small church, but he filled it. I wish I remember more of his speach. I know I liked it. I know I was ever more please by the smile on the face of his fellow, the decon. The Decon smiled. He smiled like a man who truly believed someone he loved just went home, and was happier. I took a lot of comfort in his smile.


The reading was done by "Wilson" (aka Wilson Grooms, Jr.... our Wilson). It was an amazing story I wish I had the text to, and spoke to us on many levels... not just as people who had lost a friend, but how we looked at loss in genreal. It was an editorial on Memorial Day, and an entreety to not have us ever forget what it means while getting caught up in flowers and nationalism. I was profoundly moved.

Tom Dogerty did the Rememberance (he is the guy in charge of Tor, for those with a short memory). He was quiet, and yes we had to strain to hear him. But I could still here him.

He addressed two parts. We had lost Jim Rigny. The world had lost "Robert Jordan." We were all faced with profound lost.

Solo.... Was meant to be "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." The Solosist refused to sing alone. So everyone stood and clapped and sang. If any of you are familiar with this denomination.... you can understand how spectacular this was. I dont know if there was a dry eye in the house. I just know I cried and didnt care who saw.

Then we said the apostles crede:

In assurace of eternal life given at Baptsim, let us proclaim our faith and say:

I believe in God, the Father almighty, make of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceieved by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and burried. He decended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic Chirch, the communion of the saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by the Name, they kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, we we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever Amend.

In peace, let us pray.

Almight God, who has knit together thine elect in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical body of thy Son Christ our Lord: Grant, we beseech thee, to they Church in paradise and on earth, they light and they peace.

Amen.

Grant that all who have been baptized into Christ's death and ressurection may die to sin and rise to newness in life, and that through the grave and gate of death we may pass with him to our joyful ressuraction.

Amen.

Greant to us who are still in our pilgramage, wnd who walk as yet by faith, that they Holy Spirit may lead usin holiness and righteouusness all our days.

Amen.

Grant to thy faithful people pardon and peace, that we may be cleansed from our sings, and serve theee with a quiet mind.

Amen.

Give courage and faith to those who are berewaved, that they have strength to meet the days ahead in the comfort of a reasonable and holy hope, in the joyful expectatopm of eternal life with those they love.

Amen.

Help us, we pray, in the midst of things we cannot understand, to believe and trust in teh communion of saintsd, the forgiveness of sins, and the ressurection of life everlasting.

Amen.

Grant us grace to entrust James to they never-failing love; receieve him into the arms of thy mercy, and remember him according to the favor whick thou berest unto thy people.

Amen.

Grant that, increasing in knowledge and love of thee, he may go from strength to strength in the life of perfect sercice in thy heavenly kingdon.

Amen.

Grant us, with all who have died in the hope of ressurection, to have our comsummaton and bliss in they eternal and everlasting glory, and, with blessed Stephen and all they saints, to receieve the crown of life which though dost promiise to all who share in the victory of of thy Son Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneht with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.


Give rest, O Christ, to they servant with thy saints, where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing, but life everlasting. Thou only art mortal. The creater and maker of mankind; and we are mortal, formed of the earth and until earth we shall return. For so didst ordain when thou creasdst me, saying, "Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt though return." All we down to the dust; yet even at the grave we make our song:

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Give rest, O Christ, to thy servant with thy saints, where sorry and pain are no more, neither sighing, but life everlasting.

Into thy hands, O merciful Savior, we commend thy servant James. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech thee, a sheep of thine own fold, a lamb of thine own flock, a sinner of thine own redeeming. Receieve him unto the arms of thy mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious compaby of the saints in light.

FINAL BLESSING

May the Lord of promise and suprise meet you in all your longings. May the Lord of passion and risk be with you in your daily struggles. May the Lord of challenge and change open you to all the lively possibilities life has has to offer. And may the Lord of all hope bring you into a closer relationship with his Son. who has come to us to make us whole.

And may the blessing of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit be with you and remain with you, granting always enough light for each days walking.

Amen.

Let us go forth in the name of Christ.

Thanks be to God.

Procession: Piper playing "Amazing Grace."



Above is a genuine transcript of RJ's funeral.
This is a glimpse into the beliefs held by himself and his family. This is not an endoresement of a particular religious belief, etc. and I feel silly having to specify that.
The above where the prayers offered at the funereal ceremony of an extraordinary man. And I hope there was someone people got from seeing which subjects were chosen to speak on, and in seeing a window into a fairly private part of our favorite author.
I did my best, my friends.
Eleyan Sedai

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